Vigevano

Vigevano is in Lombardy. It is an Italian town of 62,064 inhabitants in the province of Pavia in Lombardy.

Understand
An industrial center of national importance, Vigevano is known for having long been one of the main shoe production centers in the world. The first industrial model shoe factory was built there in 1866, opening a season that in the following century would have led the capital of Lomellino to produce tens of millions of shoes exported all over the world, earning the nickname of "shoe capital". Even today, the International Shoe Museum, housed in the premises of the Castello Sforzesco, preserves the evidence of a crucial period in Italian industrial history. The municipality is the second in the province by number of inhabitants after the capital and first by surface, included entirely in the Lombard natural park of the Ticino Valley.

It has long enjoyed various autonomies in the course of its history, already a free municipality federated in the second Lombard League and capital of Vigevanasco, as well as a bishopric. It was also the first Lombard city to have obtained the title of city in modern times.

Geographical notes
Vigevano is in the north-eastern Lomellina, on the right bank of the Ticino river, which separates it from the province of Milan. It is about 38 km from Pavia, 36 km from the center of Milan, 27 km from Novara, 14 km from Mortara, 12 km from Abbiategrasso. Vigevano is approximately 70 from Lodi and Alessandria, 100 from Piacenza, 130 from Turin and 140 from Brescia. The landscape, being Vigevano inside the Po Valley, is flat.

Vigevano borders with Abbiategrasso, Bereguardo, Besate, Borgo San Siro, Cassolnovo, Cilavegna, Gambolò, Gravellona Lomellina, Morimondo, Mortara, Motta Visconti and Parona.

When to go
The climate is temperate sub-continental, with humid and very cold winters (average 3.1 ° C), and very hot and equally humid summers (average 21.7 ° C). Precipitation reaches its maximum peak in October (122 mm) and the minimum peak in July (58 mm).

By car
The town is crossed by the state road 494 Vigevanese which, passing through Vigevano, connects Milan to Alessandria.

To reach Vigevano the advice is to follow the directions below:


 * from Milan take the west ring road: take the West ring road and take the SP ex SS 494 towards Abbiategrasso; or take the Milan - Genoa motorway to the Gropello Cairoli exit.


 * from Turin leave the A4 motorway at Novara, exit East.
 * from Genoa leave the A7 motorway in Gropello, Cairoli exit
 * from Milan Linate airport follow the direction of Bologna / Tangenziale Ovest - Exit at Vigevano-Lorenteggio, direction for Vigevano.


 * from Milan Malpensa airport, take the SS 336 super highway towards Magenta; then follow the signs for Abbiategrasso and Vigevano. Cross Robecco sul Naviglio and then Abbiategrasso and continue towards Vigevano.

By train
From Milan: it can be reached from Milano P.ta Genova (MM2) or Milano San Cristoforo (MM2) direction Mortara - Alessandria.

See




Buy
Throughout history, Vigevano has always been famous for the manufacture of high quality shoes. Even today, the internationally renowned Moreschi company has its headquarters in the city, in via Cararola 69, with an outlet with much more affordable prices. But a tour in the center and under the arcades of Piazza Ducale will make you realize that there is no shortage of clothing and perfumery shops and jewelers also in the rest of the city center. For lovers of shopping centers, a little further on the outskirts, there is the "Il Ducale" shopping center, of the Ipercoop chain, with the traditional supermarket and a shopping arcade.

Eat
Eating in Vigevano is a pleasure for your palate as you can taste the typical dishes of Lombard cuisine and, above all, the typical dishes of Lomellina which are of "poor" and "country" origin.

All the restaurants in Vigevano offer excellent meat dishes and land dishes (including fish dishes) that are cooked only and exclusively with products and raw materials from the countryside and local farms.

The main source of income of Vigevano is, without question, the footwear sector but also tourism is very developed thanks to the historical and artistic beauties of the city so the prices of the restaurants are not really cheap but they are not excessive or prohibitive either.

What to eat in Vigevano
The gastronomic tradition of Vigevano is very ancient and has always been influenced by peasant civilization, and it is no coincidence that one of the main "ingredients" of this sublime cuisine is rice which is present in all courses, from appetizers to desserts.

Let's see what are some of the best typical dishes of Vigevano that you absolutely must not give up:


 * Fried or stewed frogs
 * Sautéed snails
 * Chickpea Soup and Tripe in Broth
 * All rice-based dishes
 * Stewed wild boar with polenta
 * Stewed donkey
 * All dishes based on river and sea fish (spaghetti allo scoglio)
 * All dishes based on pork, sheep and game (jugged hare and pheasant alla cacciatora)
 * Rice biscuits, Dolce del Moro and Bramantini biscuits
 * Local cured meats and cheeses (figadei and salami della Duja)

The typical dishes of Vigevano are those of Lomellina, based on the peasant civilization of the paddy field, with poor but genuine ingredients. The most famous is probably the goose salami, which goes with pork "salam d’la duja". Among the appetizers still the bath, the omelettes, the salad of nerves, the soaked fish, the borlotti bean salad. Among the first courses, rice is naturally the absolute dominator, for example with yellow risotto, risotto with barlande or meadow herbs, risotto with green beans, risotto with frogs and roasted risotto. There is no shortage of ravioli, tagliolini with asparagus, lasagna with giblets. Also popular are the chickpea soup, tripe in broth and dishes with asparagus, another typical product of Lomellina. The more traditional second courses are those based on snails and frogs, which are found less frequently today, otherwise pork, beef, the inevitable goose and Ticino fish such as eels and "bottine". Polenta is also a typical peasant dish. The boiled meat is also very popular. Finally, among the desserts, even if it is a little out of the area in Vigevano, you can easily find the famous offelle di Parona, while as regards homemade desserts, the virulà cake, white and black, is very common. As a tribute to the famous Bramante tower, Bramantini biscuits are also a typical souvenir in Vigevano.